ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO ADD BUS ROUTES FOR KEEPING PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARE UNCHANGED
ARKA
August 1, 2008
YEREVAN, August 1. /ARKA/. Public transport fare should be kept the
same by increasing the number of bus routes and reducing the number
of minibuses, Armenian Premier Tigran Sargsyan said at the government
meeting on public transport fare.
Currently the public transport fare is 100Drams in Armenia.
The Chairman of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission Robert
Nazaryan said that, according to monitoring results, Bogdan bus fare
is 130.92Drams with minibus and PAZ bus fares being 76.31Drams and
93.85Drams respectively. According to him, if maximum allowable
error and seasonal ratios are not taken into account, the fares
are 191.3Drams, 100.65Drams and 124Drams respectively. The owners of
transport companies themselves suggest setting the prices at 211Drams,
202Drams and 189Drams respectively.
According to Nazaryan, a number of routes operated by Bodgan buses
are unprofitable now and an appropriate decision should be made on
this. The Premier responded that the strategic decision has been
already made – to increase the number of Bogdan buses and to reduce
the number of minibuses without reviewing the tariffs. According to
the Premier, this will help raising the number of bus passengers and,
consequently, the profitability.
Unprofitable routes are the first ones to be taken off, he said.
The Premier also said that the privat e transport sector
will be requested to provide their opinion on the tariff
calculations. Meanwhile, the Government will consider the concept
of new routes to be introduced in September, the Premier said adding
that another monitoring will be conducted in September to establish
the seasonal difference in passenger traffic.
Currently the public transport fleet includes about 500 buses and
3,500 minibuses. Armenia’s capital ranks the first in the number of
minibuses among CIS countries. ($1=301.03Drams).